The invention relates to an electric compressed-gas circuit breaker with a quenching device which includes a movable blasting cylinder, a so-called puffer cylinder, and a puffer piston controlled in an axial motion relative to the puffer cylinder. The contact arrangement of the breaker includes a fixed contact piece and a movable contact piece. A drive for the quenching device is also provided.
From Deutsche Offenlegungsschrift No. 1,913,973 an electric circuit breaker is known whose quenching device, consisting of a puffer piston and the puffer cylinder, is coupled with the drive for the compression of the quenching medium in such a manner that the distance of the puffer piston from the mating contact piece is greater in the closed and in the open position than during the interrupting process. One thereby obtains an improvement of the compression of the quenching medium, because a motion in opposite directions takes place between the piston and the puffer cylinder during the pre-compression phase. For this purpose, not only the puffer cylinder is rigidly coupled with the drive, but the puffer piston is also connected with the drive by means of a special linkage. This means that the entire energy for the compression of the quenching medium must be supplied by the drive at the same time.